The headstock is the material with which Montessori children get to know the number zero very early. The counting material is flattened wooden sticks (the spindles) in the middle, which have the advantage of lying comfortably in the children's hands and not rolling away. The power of the numbers up to 9 becomes clear here, as the compartment for the 0 always remains empty, while one more spindle is assigned to the following number sizes than the previous one.

Use, advantages, areas of application for this Montessori material:

• • Introduce and recognize the value zero

• • Fill the compartments with the correct number of spindles

• • Zero equals nothing

• • Montessori material for children from 4 years

• • Learning to count

• • Determination of counting differences

Scope of the mathematical Montessori material:
1 headstock 0 to 9, wood, approx. 52 x 18 x 6 cm
45 spindles, wood, approx. 14.5 cm long

Instructions for the Montessori headstock

The adult provides the headstock and the box with the spindles.
Now he asks the child whether they already know some of the numbers and lets them name them.
Then he begins to introduce the headstock.
He takes a few spindles in his left hand and points with the index finger of his right hand at the number zero. That is zero - zero means nothing. He does not put a spindle in the first compartment.
One - one spindle goes into the compartment
Two - two spindles are placed in the corresponding compartment

From number 2, the spindles are counted individually in the compartment:

Two - one (one spindle is placed in the compartment of number 2); two (the second spindle goes into the compartment).

Three - one (a spindle is put in it); two (the second spindle is added); three (now the third spindle is placed in the compartment with the number 3).

Success control: no spindle remains.

Variations:
The subjects are assigned items from everyday life, e.g. the subject with the number 5 is assigned five pasta, buttons, pens ...